The Birth of Jesus Christ

1. How many wise men were there?A. 3B. 7-8C. The Bible doesn’t say

 2. Did Joseph meet the wise men?

A. Yes, in the stableB. Yes in their homeC. The Bible doesn’t say.

 3. What animal did Mary ride to Bethlehem?

A. A donkeyB. A horseC. A camelD. The Bible doesn’t say

 4. The Parents named the child Jesus because

A. An angel told MaryB. An angel told JosephC. All of the above

Nativity Quiz

5. What kind of a building was Jesus born in?A. A stableB. A caveC. A hospitalD. The Bible doesn’t say

6. What animals were present at the Nativity?A. Goats, Sheep, and CattleB. Chicken and pigeonsC. PigsD. OxenE. The Bible doesn’t say

 7. Who besides the wise men saw the star?

A. ShepherdsB. HerodC. The Bible does not say

 8. How did the star compare in brightness with the other stars?

A. Far brighter than the other stars.B. Lots brighter than the other stars.C. The Bible does not say

 9. How soon after Joseph and Mary reached Bethlehem was Jesus born?

A. Immediately, the same day.B. The same week.C. The Bible does not say.

The Lineage of Jesus Christ

Genealogy of Jesus Christ

TamarRuth

Rahab Bathsheba

Mary’s Parents - Joachim and AnnaChildless Couple

Joachim tried to offer a sacrifice

"You are not worthy to offer sacrifice

with those childless hands."

An Angel appeared:

“A daughter most blessed, by whom all the nations of the earth

will be blessed, and through whom will come

the salvation of the world."

Mary is Presented at the Temple

Mary was dedicated to

temple serviceas a small child

Miriam or Mary“Excellence”

or “Bitterness”

Ancient Prayer Circle

Mary’s Vision in the Temple

"Can we speak too highly of her whom the Lord has blessed above all women? There was only on Christ, and there is only one Mary. Each was noble and great in the pre-mortal existence and each was foreordained to the ministry he or she performed. We cannot but think that the Father would choose the greatest female spirit to be the mother of His Son, even as He chose the male spirit like unto Him to be the Savior."

The Mortal Messiah Bruce R McConkie

Mary – the Greatest Female Spirit

Joseph the Carpenter

He was a just manTzaddik

A Master builder

Learned

In tune with the Spirit

Beyond Reproach

Betrothal of Joseph and MaryProbably arranged

while children

Bride price is paid and a contract is given by the

young man to the young woman

Average Betrothal age: Females: 12-13

Males: 18-20

The Annunciation

“How Shall this be, seeing I

know not a Man”

How are we begotten? I answer: just as Jesus Christ was begotten by his Father. The Christian denominations believe that Christ was begotten, not of God but of the Spirit that overshadowed his mother. This is nonsense. Why will not the World receive the truth? Why will they not believe the Father when he says that Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son? Why will they try to explain this truth away and make a mystery of it?

Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith

Mary’s Call to be the Mother of the Savior of the World

“Mary, Thou Hast Found Favor”

“Behold The handmaid of the Lord….

…..Be it unto me according

to thy word.”

Blessed Art Thou Among Women”

My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced

in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:

for, behold, from henceforth all generations

shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;

and holy is his name.

The Magnificat

“Mary was Found to Be with Child”

James, the brother of Jesus said,

“And Mary was in her sixth month and behold Joseph came….and entering into her house, he discovered she was big with child. And he…..wept bitterly."

“Joseph was Minded to Put Her Away Privily”

Joseph’s Vision

That which is conceived in her

is of the Holy Ghost

Joseph had been chosen to be the

earthly father of the Savior of the World!

The Marriage of Joseph & Mary

Scholars are divided

Either Joseph and Mary were married immediately

Or Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem and were formally

married after Christ’s birth

He “knew her not”

“All the World should be Taxed”

Rome required a Census

and a Tax

The law required that both

Joseph and Mary were to be taxed

Mary and Joseph went “Up” to Bethlehem

“No Room in the Inn”

Caravanserai

Manger

Guest Room

Family Area

“Stable”Steps

kataluma

“No Room in the “Kataluma.”

There was no “room” available in the “kataluma” or guest room so Joseph and Mary

shared the Family Room attached to the “stable.”

The Star Matthew emphasizes the Star – reminding the Jews that a star announced the birth of Abraham and Moses

Only the Wise Men saw the Star. The Star may have been literal or a symbol for frequent visitations from an angel who guided the Wise Men.

The Birth of Jesus

The Shepherds = Outcasts

The First Witnesses

Shepherd PriestsSacred duty: First born male lambs without blemish

for the Passover sacrifices

Fear Not

I bring you good tidings of

great joy!

For unto you is born….a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord!

Ye shall find the babe….

……Wrapped in swaddling bands

….Lying in a manger.

A Name and a BlessingCircumcision

Joseph named him

“Yeshua”

“Jehovah is Salvation”

“Immanuel”

“He is God!”

“God is with us!”

The Dedication of Jesus at the Temple

40 days after birth

A lamb is to be sacrificed to redeem

the child.

Two doves were brought for Mary’s

purification and atonement.

SimeonRevealed to him that he would not die until

he had seen the Messiah.

He came by the Spirit into the Temple

“A sword shall pierce thy breast.”

Anna

Anna = GracePhanuel = Face of God

Asher = Happy and blessed

“Happy am I” for I have seen “the face of God”

through His “Grace.”

Married at 12-14Widowed at 19-21

Unmarried for 84 years

At least 101 years old when she saw the Savior

The Magi = the Wise MenReligious men from

the Diaspora

According to the scriptures:

The only people who saw the star.

How Many Wise Men Were There?

Gold = KingIncorruptible, pure,

valuable, eternal

Frankincense = Priest

Temple incense, sacrifice, prayer,

resurrection

Myrrh = HealerBalm, healing, death,

atonement

Herod the Great

Brilliant genius

Richest man in the Roman Empire

Arabian ancestry

Baby Killer

Flight into Egypt

Joseph was warned in

another vision to go

to Egypt

Heliopolis = Zi - On

The same area of Goshen where

the Israelite slaves lived

Herod has Zacharias Killed

Herod orders the death of males 2 years and younger.

Zacharias sends Elizabeth and John to the desert

Herod’s soldiers come

Zacharias is killed between the altar and the porch of the Temple

TheGlorious Advent of our Savior